Social Change Model of Leadership Development: A 4-Year Program

The social change model (SCM) of leadership development defines all students as potential leaders. Service acts as a powerful means for developing leadership skills within our students. After the 20th anniversary celebration by the International Leadership Association of the SCM, the authors wanted to illustrate how practice can inform research as they applied the model to a 4-year leadership program. The President’s Leadership Fellows is a 4-year program where all students have an opportunity to develop into leaders through classroom and cocurricular leadership experiences. Students actively participate in individual and group activities designed to experience social change and leadership theory on a practical, personal level. The students can then identify with the key elements of the SCM framework. This article outlines this leadership program and how it can help inform further research from practice.